Remote-controlled water toy

ABSTRACT

The invention is remote-controlled water toy that has an outer shell that is a continuous and external surface, a plurality of apertures in the outer shell that allow water to infiltrate the outer shell, and an interior volume that collects and stores water that has infiltrated the outer shell. The remote-controlled water toy can shoot water, be shot at by other similar vehicles, retain water that hits them directly in the interior volume, continue to be operational after being hit, and sink or otherwise become deactivated when a predetermined volume of water has infiltrated the exterior shell.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to the class of Human necessities and the sub-class of Sports, Games, and Amusements. Specifically, this invention relates to Toyboats, Floating Toys, and Other Aquatic Toy Devices.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to remote-controlled toy vehicles that can shoot water, be shot at by other toy vehicles, retain water that hits them directly, be disabled when a predetermined volume of water has been absorbed, and be recovered after being submerged or disabled with no ill-effects to the electric and electronic components on board.

Kids and adults have long played with remotely controlled vehicles but, beyond racing against one another, there are very few games that can be played between opponents. In addition, racing of vehicles requires a great deal of space, it is usually restricted to outdoor play and requires a race course with boundaries, buoys and a finish line. Due to these factors and because available vehicles vary in size, speed and maneuverability, the competition is usually unequal and unfair.

Another problem exists where vehicles are supposed to shoot at each other. For this to be truly realistic the losing player's vehicle would need to be visibly damaged or disabled by the winning player's accurate shooting. This of course does not happen because it would mean damaging a child's toy. In addition, when toys are designed to shoot projectiles they become a danger to young players who may accidentally be hit in the eye or face. What the market needs is a remote-controlled toy vehicle that shoots water and sinks when it has been suitably compromised.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following presents a simplified summary of two embodiments of the invention, which one skilled in the art can generalize in order provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of all of the potential embodiments of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present two embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

The invention provides a new way to play and compete with remote-controlled toys. The remote-controlled water toys are able to shoot water which is a harmless projectile, but, when used on the invention, it still has a very real and noticeable effect on the opponent's remote-controlled water toy. The present invention can be embodied as a boat or as a tank. The remote-controlled water toy has a water cannon and a plurality of apertures in its outer shell. The outer shell can be the hull of a ship. The outer shell can be the exterior of a tank. The outer shell is a continuous, exterior surface. The outer shell can take on a variety of different shapes. As the remote-controlled water toy is hit with water fired by an opponent, some of the water infiltrates the outer shell through the plurality of apertures. The water that infiltrates the outer shell is collected and stored in a volume interior to the outer shell. The volume is fundamentally a storage tank for water.

As the remote-controlled water toy collects water in its volume, it will lose speed and maneuverability due to the weight of the water. Additionally, if the remote-controlled water toy is floating, such as a boat, it will slowly sink. If the remote-controlled water toys does not float, like a tank, it can have its treads on the bottom surface of the body of water. The tank can be fitted with a float switch which turns the tank off, and identifies it as a loser, when the interior volume is sufficiently filled. In this way, although partially or totally immersed, the remote-controlled water toy will continue to function.

Regardless of the embodiment, the invention is designed to withstand full submersion and so it can be removed from the water, emptied and be immediately ready for play.

This new game with remote-controlled water toys requires much less space than a racing competition and the invention can be miniaturized enough to be played with in a very small pool indoors or out. At the same time, the toy can be played with in a full-size pool, a pond or any other body of water. This is especially true when a floatation device is built onto the outer shell of the remote-controlled water toy. In the embodiment where the remote-controlled water toy is a boat or ship, a water-tight compartment can be put inside the outer shell (a.k.a. the deck and hull of a ship). In this way, a remote-controlled water toy configured as a boat or ship could sink below the surface but not all the way to the bottom. This makes it easy to locate and recover.

In this first embodiment, the remote-controlled water toy configured as a boat or ship would have a motor connected to a propeller and a motorized, remote-controlled rudder. The remote-controlled water toy would move about in response to input from a remote control. The remote control would be able to control both the speed of the propeller and the position of the rudder.

The outer shell of the first embodiment would be a stable hull with high walls. A water intake placed below the waterline, preferably at the bottom of the remote-controlled water toy, would be connected to at least one pump. The at least one pump would provide water to one or more water cannons. The at least one pump would be powered by a power source. The water cannons would respond to commands from the remote control, which could control both the flow and direction of each water cannon.

A plurality of apertures in the outer shell would allow water that was fired at the remote-controlled water toy to enter the volume. In the first embodiment, part of the outer shell would be a deck in which there would be several apertures. The deck would be continuous with a hull, forming the remainder of the outer shell of the remote-controlled water toy. The water would collect in the volume, slowly sinking the boat or ship. The volume can be emptied by the pump, using the remote control.

In a second embodiment, the remote-controlled water toy would not float, but would be placed in a shallow pool of water. In this embodiment, the non-floating remote-controlled water toy would rest on the bottom of the shallow pool of water. The non-floating remote-controlled water toy could be configured with an outer shell to look like a tank. In this embodiment, the remote-controlled water toy could be fitted with motor-driven treads or tires to allow the remote-controlled water toy to move about.

The remote-controlled water toy would move about in response to input from a remote control. The remote control would be able to control both the speed of the treads or tires, and their orientation, allowing the user to control the speed and direction of the remote-controlled water toy.

The outer shell of the second embodiment would mimic that of a military tank. A water intake placed below the waterline, preferably at the bottom of the remote-controlled water toy, would be connected to at least one pump. The at least one pump would provide water to one or more water cannons. The at least one remote-controlled pump would be powered by a power source. The water cannons would respond to commands from the remote control, which could control both the flow and direction of each water cannon.

A plurality of apertures in the outer shell would allow water that was fired at the remote-controlled water toy to enter the volume. In the second embodiment, the outer shell would resemble a tank and would have several apertures. In the second embodiment, the water would collect in the volume. The volume would contain a float switch. When the water in the volume reach a pre-determined level, the float switch would be switched, disabling the remote-controlled water toy. In this way, a winner and loser of a toy battle would be apparent. After a match, the volume can be emptied by the pump, using the remote control.

The invention can be customized so that the remote-controlled water toy has a variety of water cannons to choose from and varying capacities for taking on water and varying speed and maneuverability. However, these factors can be balanced so that remote-controlled water toys of equal strength can be matched with one another, leaving only the players' skill and strategy as determinants of victory.

The invention differs from what currently exists. It is unique and novel because it allows players to shoot real projectiles in the form of water which is harmless to a player but will inflict real and incremental damage to other remote-controlled water toys. This invention identifies a real winner in a competition, because the loser would either (1) sink; or (2) be disabled once the interior tank is sufficiently filled so as to trigger the float switch. This is because these remote-controlled water toys are specifically designed to take on water through apertures in their outer shells, retain water in their volume until they are too heavy to float or the interior volume is full, and continue to operate until their maximum water capacity is reached. In addition, other remote-controlled water toys that are water-resistant are only that, water-resistant, but not watertight. And, if they are watertight, they are designed to stay afloat and not sink.

A remote-control with a matching frequency would accompany the toy and would have at least 3 functions, including forward propulsion, shooting the cannon and steering, however, in a preferred embodiment the boat would have 5 or more functions, including forward and reverse for two different motors (which also provides for steering), plus a shooting function.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the present invention with the internal arrangement of components visible and depicted as dotted lines.

FIG. 2 is a front (left) and top (right) view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention showing an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows a plurality of the present invention, in situ, and in isolation.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an isolation view of the motor, propeller, and water cannon, showing an alternative embodiment.

FIG. 7 shows a plurality of an alternative embodiment of the present invention, in situ.

FIG. 8 is an isolation of an alternative embodiment of the present invention, in situ.

FIG. 9 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The article “a” is intended to include one or more items, and where only one item is intended the term “one” or similar language is used. Additionally, to assist in the description of the present invention, words such as top, bottom, side, upper, lower, front, rear, inner, outer, right and left are used to describe the accompanying figures. The terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a first embodiment of the present invention, a remote-controlled water toy. FIG. 2 shows a front and top view of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the first embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is a remote-controlled water toy. FIG. 4 shows the present invention being used in situ. FIG. 5 shows a side view of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 shows an isolation of a variation on the water control system. FIGS. 1-6 will be discussed together.

The first embodiment is a boat 77. The boat 77 floats. The boat 77 has an outer shell 55 with a plurality of apertures 19, 25. The outer shell 55 is a continuous, exterior surface of the boat 77. Part of the outer shell 55 can be decorative pieces such as the bridge 21. During game play, an opponent can fire water at the boat. Water will infiltrate the outer shell 55 through one or more of the apertures 19, 25 in the deck 17. The water will then be collected and stored in an interior volume 99. To prevent the boat 77 from totally sinking, one or more water-tight compartments 31 can be used to create buoyancy. As the interior volume 99 fills with water, the boat 77 will no longer float fully upright. Once the interior volume 99 of the boat 77 is filled with a predetermined amount of water, the boat 77 will be partially or totally submerged. The predetermined amount of water depends on the overall weight of the boat 77 and the amount of buoyancy built into the water-tight compartments 31 of the boat 77. A boat 77 can have a first predetermined amount of water that will make it partially submerge, and a second predetermined amount of water that will make it fully submerge. In this way, a true winner of the game is apparent.

The bottom of the boat 77 is designed to make the boat 77 stable as the interior volume 99 fills with water. The boat 77 has a keel 24 with an apex 23 and two chines 22. This bottom configuration makes the boat 77 stable when the interior volume 99 is full of water or when the boat 77 is used in rough water. FIG. 2 (left side), shows a front view of the boat 77 having two chines, 22, running along the sides of the outer shell 55 (hull) and deepest in the rear of the boat for stability, and a deeper V-shaped middle, 23, that runs the entire length of the hull. For deeper water and additional stability in rough water, a modified keel, 24, runs the length of the boat but is deepest near the middle. The keel, 24, is modified to be hollow and wider so that it serves as part of the interior volume 99 and can collect water that enters from above. This keel 24, 23 makes the boat 77 stable as the interior volume 99 fills with water.

In order to keep the boat 77 from fully submerging when the interior volume 99 is filled with water, the boat 77 can be fitted with watertight compartments 8, 20, to provide buoyancy.

The boat 77 is fitted with one or more water cannons 1. The boat 77 has a remote-controlled pump 5 which draws water in through an intake 3 and hose 4. The remote-controlled pump 5 operates in response to a signal received from the remote-control receiver via the controller, both of which are mounted on the circuit board 9. The water exits the pump 5, through a nozzle 6, under pressure. The water passes through a gun hose 7 prior to reaching the water cannon 1. The water cannon 1 fires off the bow 18 of the boat 77. The gun turret 37 of the water cannon 1 assembly has an outlet port 2 to which an additional water cannon can be attached. Importantly, the intake, 3, will provide a counter-balancing force when made to face the same direction as the water cannon 1. In the FIG. 1 the intake 3 is shown to be pulling water in from the bow 18 which pulls the boat 77 forward, while the water cannon 1 pushes water out from the bow 18, which pushes the boat 77 backwards. The net result is a muted effect on the remote-controlled water toys position during the cannon's operation.

The boat 77 includes one or more battery 11 operated remote-controlled motors, 15. The propellers 16 are visible in FIGS. 1 and 3. Two propellers 16 provide extra maneuverability, because the propellers 16 are more effective for reversing direction when the water flow from the front to the back is unobstructed (or at least less obstructed) by the boat 77 outer shell 55 (hull), itself. A watertight compartment houses a receiver and controller on a circuit board, 9. The remote-controlled motors 15 are used to drive the propellers 16 in response to a signal received from the remote-control receiver via the controller. The batteries 11 are wired through conduits 12, 13, 14 to the circuit board 9, an antenna 10, one or more motors 15, the pump 5, and, optionally, a remote-controlled rudder. The remote-control receiver 9 must be set to the same frequency as the remote-controller and should have additional channels for each action, including the firing of the water cannon 1 or water cannons 1, 2.

Wiring is made waterproof by protecting the connections within the watertight compartment, 8, and, the watertight compartments themselves are protected from leaks through the use of wire conduits, 12, 13 and 14, which provide an entry way for wires and an extended channel into which waterproofing material, such as silicone or adhesives, can be injected. The silicone can then envelope the wires within the wire conduits, 12, 13 and 14 while providing a seal at both ends. For additional protection, the pump 5, which is itself waterproof and submersible, can have its wiring run into the battery 11 compartment through one conduit 12 and then out through another conduit 13 before finally entering the waterproof compartment and connecting to the circuit board 9. Effectively, this design requires water collected in the interior volume 99 of the boat 77 to go through the two conduits and the battery compartment before it can enter the circuit board compartment.

When necessary, a gun bib 26 can be used below the water cannon 1, to prevent drips from the water cannon 1 from entering the interior volume 99 through one or more of the apertures 19, 25. The gun bib 26 is essentially a sloped surface 26 that drains into a drainage hole 27.

During game play, remote-controlled water toys of equal strength can battle each other in small, indoor pools 28. Such pools 28 can be made small enough to be placed on a tabletop or floor, and the guns can be mounted so that water 29 shot from the water cannons 1, 2 are restricted to lateral or downward movement such that it cannot be shot outside of the playing arena 28. Furthermore, the water cannons 1 will not work once the boat 77 is removed from the pool 28 because the pool 28 is in fact their only source of water or “ammunition”. The pump 5 can still be activated but no water 29 can be pushed out through the water cannon 1. The result is that remote-controlled water toys will move about and shoot at their opponents 30 and the water 29 will only be able to hit the opponent 30, and sink their opponent 30 as intended.

With some slight modifications as shown in FIG. 6, the motor 33 can be used in a jet propulsion channel 34 to drive an impeller 32. The impeller 32 pulls water through the channel 34 and out the back of the boat 77 for forward movement. In this arrangement the motor 33 can be put into reverse and thus act as an axial pump which now pulls water in from the rear of the boat, against a check valve 35, which automatically closes, driving water up through a gun tube 36 and out through the turret 37 and water cannon 1. The benefit of such an arrangement is two-fold, first it eliminates the need for a pump and the third motor within it, and second, it eliminates the need for a separate remote-control function for reversing and shooting because when the motor is reversed it will in fact result in both actions: the gun shoots water forward, and in so doing, it also pushes the boat back. That reactive force is magnified by the water being pulled in from the back of the boat, resulting in an even stronger reversing effect.

The present invention can also be expressed by non-floating embodiments, such as the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 7-11. In this embodiment, the remote-controlled water toy is a tank 101, 102. The tank 101, 102 can be partially submerged in a pool 103 of water 104. The tank 101, 102 has treads 112 that contact the lower surface 105 of the pool 103. Alternately, the tank 101, 102 could have tires. The lower surface 105 can be textured to provide extra traction. The tanks 101, 102 shoot water 107 at each other through water cannons 106.

The tanks 101, 102 have an outer shell 108. The outer shell 108 is a continuous, exterior surface. There are a plurality of apertures 109, 110, 111 in the outer shell 108 that allow water 107 to collect in an interior volume 118. When water 107 shot by an opponent fills the interior volume 118 by entering the outer shell 108 through the apertures 109, 110, 111, the water will trip a float switch 119. Once the float switch 119 is tripped by water filling the interior volume 118, the tank 101, 102 will no longer be able to fire. In this way, a winner will be apparent. A moisture sensor, a pressure sensor or electronic magnetic sensor can be substituted for the float switch 119, to measure the water level in the interior volume and determine when the water level has reached a predetermined level.

Each tank 101, 102 fires water through its water cannon 106. Water enters the pump 114 through the water intake 113. The pump 114 pumps water through a hose 115 to the water cannon 106. The water cannon 106 may be mounted on a spherical base 116, allowing the water cannon 106 to rotate. The water cannon 106 can also be placed on a rotating turret.

Each tank 101, 102 has a water-tight compartment 121, created by a water-tight wall 120. The motor 123 and a printed circuit board 122 containing a receiver and controller are in the water-tight compartment 121. Batteries 125 are housed in an adjacent water-tight compartment.

The motors 123 drive a drive wheel 124, which, in turn, drives the treads 112.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention will be, therefore, indicated by claims. All changes, which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims, are to be embraced within their scope. 

We claim:
 1. A remote-controlled water toy comprising an outer shell, the outer shell being a continuous, exterior surface; a plurality of apertures in the outer shell arranged so as to allow water to infiltrate the outer shell; a water-tight compartment, providing the remote-controlled water toy with a buoyancy; an interior volume that collects and stores the water that infiltrates the outer shell; a power supply; a water firing assembly comprised of an intake, a remote-controlled pump, a connection to the power supply, a water cannon, and at least one hose; a remote-control receiver; and a controller, wherein the remote-controlled water toy is intended for play in water; wherein the remote-controlled water toy can be submerged while maintaining at least limited functionality; and wherein the remote-controlled water toy has a weight without water in the interior volume.
 2. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 1, wherein the outer shell resembles a boat.
 3. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 2, further comprising at least one propeller and a remote-controlled motor.
 4. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 3, wherein the remote-controlled water toy floats.
 5. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 4, wherein the remote-control receiver, controller, and power supply are all contained within a water-tight compartment.
 6. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 5, wherein the interior volume has a first pre-determined amount of water that it must store in order to cause the remote-controlled water toy to partially submerge; and wherein the first pre-determined amount of water is dependent on the weight of the remote-controlled water toy without water and the buoyancy of the water-tight compartment.
 7. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 6, wherein the interior volume has a second pre-determined amount of water; and wherein the remote-controlled water toy will fully submerge when the interior volume collects more than a second predetermined amount of water.
 8. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 7, wherein the remote-control receiver can receive a signal that it passes to the controller, allowing the controller to control at least one of the remote-controlled motor and the remote-controlled pump.
 9. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 8, further comprising a remote-controlled rudder.
 10. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 9, wherein the remote-control receiver can receive a signal that it passes to the controller, allowing the controller to control at least one of the remote-controlled motor, the remote-controlled pump, and the remote-controlled rudder.
 11. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 1, wherein the outer shell resembles a tank.
 12. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 11, wherein the remote-controlled water toy does not float, because the weight of the remote-controlled water toy overcomes the buoyancy of the water-tight compartment.
 13. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 12, further comprising two treads and a remote-controlled motor, wherein, during game-play in a shallow pool having a bottom, the remote-controlled water toy rests on its treads on the bottom.
 14. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 13, further comprising four tires and a remote-controlled motor, wherein the four tires are arranged such that there are two tires on either side of the tank and wherein, during game-play in a shallow pool having a bottom, the remote-controlled water toy rests on its tires on the bottom.
 15. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 14, wherein the remote-control receiver, controller, and power supply are all contained within the water-tight compartment.
 16. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 15, further comprising a switch attached to the interior volume, wherein the switch trips when the water in the interior volume reaches a predetermined level.
 17. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 16, wherein the remote-controlled water toy becomes deactivated when the switch is tripped.
 18. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 17, wherein the switch is one of a float switch, a moisture sensor, a pressure sensor, and an electronic magnetic sensor.
 19. The remote-controlled water toy of claim 18, wherein the remote-control receiver can receive a signal that it passes to the controller, allowing the controller to control at least one of the remote-controlled motor and the remote-controlled pump. 